porter Archives - BEER AWESOME

BeerAwesome goes to Boojum for a beer! Blueberries included.

Boojum Brewing
Graveyard Fields
Blueberry Coffee Porter
5% 12 oz Can

We’re working through the backlog, folks. The Caps lost, let’s move on to this from Waynesville NC. It’s a blueberry coffee porter. It is old (2018) and pours very dark. It smells like coffee and malt and slightly berry, and the head disappears immediately. Like the Caps desire. And from the can, it says they take their classic brown, and add fresh coffee and blueberry. I hope I’m not berry (trotz) disappointed.

Hops – 3.1 It is a little balanced.

Malts – 6.3 Also it’s not that roasty. Or malty. It’s getting weird.

Carbonation – 7.4 Despite the head going away like a Capitals lead, it’s very bubbly. Think soda.

Character – 4.6 This is where they’ve let me down. It’s halfway through the 2nd, and they did not deliver as promised. The coffee is there… barely. It’s like you got to take a sip of someone’s leftover iced coffee from yesterday. And the blueberry is slightly acidic. This may be from aging, but I’m just reporting what’s happening.

Palate – 5.8 It’s not… Bad. Not great. It’s the Capitals Powerplay right now. You have potential! But you did not deliver on it.

Overall – 5.9 It’s not very bad but it’s not good. It’s super bubbly, the flavors and mouthfeel are really thin.

I didn’t know this was going to be exactly how I felt after tonight’s loss, but this beer is exactly like their performance. Sounds great, but you need to actually execute! It was thin, lackluster, and overall left me wanting. 2 Minutes for disappointment, Boojum.

BeerAwesome drinks a S’MORE!

Saranac S’MORE Porter
6.2%
Served in a…Jug
Initially, it pours very dark, with a small head. It immediately smells like malt, cocoa and something sweet and sugary.

Hops – 2 There’s something to barely balance out the malt, but it’s fairly on the less hoppy side of porters.

Malts – 7 It’s not a YUGE malt bomb but it’s definitely there and it’s delicious.

Carbonation – 6 It’s there but it’s not too tingly. It actually helps break it up so that you’re not chugging a chocolate milk concoction.

Character – 7.5 Malts, chocolate, sweetness and a little bitter. There’s nothing enlightening going on but it’s a little different and pretty tasty.

Palate – 8 This was a good effort to make something novel. Saranac seems to have a history of good ideas and mediocre execution so it’s a small step up from the usual seasonal/rare ones. It’s not going to change your life, but it’s worth a try.

S’MORE porter is like hanging out with that uncle you rarely see. He might be cool, but he doesn’t really work. Probably has the best of intentions, but it’s for everyone’s benefit that it’s not an all the time thing. The jug it comes in (and yes, it’s totally a jug) is pretty awesome. I might actually like the container more than the beer. There’s lots of malt and chocolate flavor to it, and a mysterious sweetness, but nothing that stands out as marshmallow or graham cracker. I’d try roasting a marshmallow and serving it with that but I’m not a Scout Leader so there’s no room in my pantry for anything that’s not meat, meat products, meat seasoning or beer. There is a slight bitterness to it, like most porters, but it helps balance this beer out so you’re not just drinking alcoholic Ovaltine. Is it delicious? Yes. Is it exactly like a s’more in your mouth? As close as you’ll get without buying marshmallows. Or chocolate. Or graham crackers.

BeerAwesome reviews Alewerks Bourbon Barrel Porter!

Alewerks Brewing Co. Bourbon Barrel Porter
22oz Bomber, 9%

Pours dark with a small tan head. Immediate wood smell with dark, roasty malts, yeast, some booze and a dark fruity character. You immediately know you’re in for a ride.

Hops – 2.5 There’s a slight bitterness but not any hop characteristics. This one’s all about dark, roasty, oak-aged goodness.
Malts – 9.4 THATS WHAT BOURBON BARREL PORTER DOES! Comin in hot, this is not for hop heads. I’ll spare the metaphors and similes for now. So malts, yes. They’re here, there and everywhere. And they’re delicious.
Carbonation – 4 It *can* pour a decent head, but it doesn’t feel like Sprite in your mouth.
Character – 9 The malts are abundant, roasty and delicious playing gratuitious host to the welcome guests of fruity flavors, oak barrel finish and slight alcohol.
Palate – 9.2 It’s good. Everything here is working in /s tandem /s unison to create a really nice, dark roasty experience. Trade in your cup of joe for some molasses, booze and oak.
Overall – 9.4 On the other end of the spectrum from the cool “lets you drive his sports car” trendy DIPA uncle is the “gets you hammered from his personal flask at a very young age and is acceptably racist” Bourbon Barrel Porter Grandpa. You wanna sit down with this one and hear its stories, not take it on a night out. Maybe it could use a vanilla finish or a peppery spice to claw its way to those final points but this is a great porter. Much like your favorite show on Netflix, don’t rush your way through this one because the journey is the destination. Enjoy the ride.

Travel pun #48702 goes here.